In her own write

Singer develops words to jazz tunes, scats solos

Singer develops words to jazz tunes, scats solos

May 26, 2006|JACK WALTON Tribune Correspondent

Holly Holmes put a twist on her interpretations of a piece by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and another one by guitarist Pat Metheny on her first album, "The Climb:" She wrote lyrics for the two instrumental works. "They are both melodies that I think are especially gorgeous," the singer says by telephone from Champaign, Ill. "Wayne and Pat are both very lyrical writers, and I had an emotional connection with those songs. That eventually led me to a subject for each of them." In Holmes' versions, Shorter's "Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum" became "Siren Song," and Metheny's "The Road to You" became "The Road to Me." In addition to those two vocalese selections, "The Climb" contains straight-ahead jazz pieces, bossa nova and scat. The CD also includes one pop-rock song, an arrangement of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide." Rather than a straight cover version, however, she wrote new harmonies for it and had the piano player dampen some strings, while the guitarist employs an e-bow, a device that simulates the effect of a violin bow. Holmes, 29, and her trio -- guitar, bass and drums -- perform Saturday at Benton Harbor's The Livery. Holmes' performances include many passages of scat-singing, something she says is important to her because scat allows a singer to improvise like an instrumentalist. "So many singers only sing the melody and the lyrics," she says. "Even though I love to listen to those singers and I enjoy them a great deal, I often feel more plugged into what the rest of the ensemble is doing. I want to participate on their level." Holmes has no plans, however, to ditch language completely. "Audiences make an immediate connection to lyrics," she says. "Most people, frankly, expect that from a vocalist. Sometimes that's why they choose to hear a vocalist rather than a saxophone player. They want to have that lyrical connection." In her current live sets, she performs most of the songs from her album as well as new material. Recently, Holmes has been featuring a new set of lyrics she wrote for Herbie Hancock's "Dolphin Dance," a piece she's been working on for a while. "I played it once a couple of years ago, but I wasn't convinced I was ready for the tune," she says. "Now I'm ready to get it back out." Currently a resident of Illinois, Holmes attended Western Michigan University. Soon after graduating, she visited Brazil and compares the cultural experience to musical experiences. "(Learning new styles) is kind of synonymous to learning a foreign language," she says by telephone from Champaign. "You slowly crack away at it. I spent six months in Brazil learning Portuguese, and I found that the way I learned the language was similar to the way I learn music. You learn a few little phrases at first and eventually they're coming out of you spontaneously."